The present invention relates to a liquid container. Particularly, the present invention relates to a liquid container suitable for transferring chemicals germ free from one container to another container.
Conventionally, a drug having a disadvantage such as losing its effectiveness by mutual reaction with another component of a mixture with which the drug is preserved in a mixed state, or a drug which is decomposed, denatured or the like by heat during a sterilization treatment such as high pressure vapor sterilization, is generally contained and preserved in a vial or the like hermetically sealed with a rubber plug. Further, these drugs, for administration to a patient, are used by taking out the drugs from the drug containers using a syringe or the like and mixing and injecting them into a transfusion vessel. However, according to such a transfer operation using a syringe, a significant operation time period is taken and, further, there is a concern of contaminating the drug solution.
Hence, in order to resolve the drawbacks of the transfer operation using a syringe, there have been proposed various chemical containers with communication means arranged in each of two containers such that rubber plugs thereof oppose each other and are pierced by a piercing needle of a two headed needle to enable liquids in the two containers to communicate and to transfer chemicals (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 71122/1996 and the like).
However, according thereto, transfer of chemicals is carried out by natural flow down through a chemical flow path of the two headed needle and, therefore, the transfer time period is long and, further, there is a concern that the chemicals remain therein.
The present invention has been carried out in view of the above-described situation and it is an object thereof to provide a chemical container capable of transferring chemicals in a short time period germ free by a simple operation and wherein the solution remaining after transfer is inconsiderable.
The inventors conceived that means for closing a mouth portion of a container main body is constituted by a closing member of a twist-off type in place of a rubber plug as a result of an intensive study in order to resolve the above-described problem and completed the invention. That is, according to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a liquid container comprising a container main body, a mouth portion of which is closed by a closing member which is easily breakable and has a flat knob portion, and a hollow needle member pivotably and hermetically crowned on the mouth portion of the container main body. The hollow needle member further comprises joining means for joining the knob portion when the hollow needle member is pivoted, at a position of the hollow needle member containing the knob portion.
Here, it is preferable that a connecting portion which connects the mouth portion and the closing member is formed to be brittle. Further, it is preferable that the hollow needle member is constituted by a needle portion, a knob-containing portion and a skirt portion, and it is more preferable that a space between the skirt portion and the container main body is sealed with a packing. The hollow needle member may be provided with an annular engaging projection at a lower end of the skirt portion and may engage an undercut provided at an outer wall of the mouth portion of the container main body when the needle member is crowned thereon.